The present invention is useful in sports, such as, without limitation, football (i.e., American, Australian and Canadian football), soccer, rugby, field and ice hockey, lacrosse, boxing and automotive and motorcycle racing. Additionally, the invention may find application in non-sporting activities such as military and spacecraft activities, in which bodily contact is common or the risk of collision or accident is high.
In such activities there may be a high risk of head injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as injuries to the neck, back, and spine. TBI is defined as damage to the brain resulting from external mechanical force, such as rapid acceleration or deceleration, impact, blast waves, or penetration by a projectile, that disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue. Immediate symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the extent of damage to the brain. Mild cases (mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI) may result in a brief change in mental state or consciousness, while severe cases may result in extended periods of unconsciousness, coma or even death.
In addition to the immediate effects of TBI, which manifest at the moment of injury, TBI can also cause secondary injuries, a variety of events that take place in the minutes, days, and weeks (or longer) following the injury. These processes, which may include alterations in cerebral blood flow and the pressure within the skull, contribute substantially to the damage from the initial injury. Chronic effects, particularly of moderate and severe TBI include cognitive deficits, including impaired attention; disrupted insight, judgment, and thought; reduced processing speed; distractibility; and deficits in executive functions such as abstract reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and multitasking. These effects are also cumulative, at least in certain individuals, particularly upon repetitive TBI, such as the mild TBI commonly experienced by regular and professional football players.
A 2009 study ranked the 20 sports and/or recreational activities representing the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009.
TABLE 1SPORT/ACTIVITYINJURIES TREATEDCycling:85,389Football:46,948Baseball and Softball:38,394Basketball:34,692Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving,28,716Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, WaterSkiing, Water Tubing):Powered Recreational Vehicles26,606(ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Minibikes, Off-road):Soccer:24,184Skateboards/Scooters:23,114Fitness/Exercise/Health Club:18,012Winter Sports (Skiing Sledding16,948Snowboarding Snowmobiling):Horseback Riding:14,466Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading:10,223Golf:10,035Hockey:8,145Other Ball Sports:6,883Trampolines:5,919Rugby/Lacrosse:5,794Roller and Inline Skating:3,320Ice Skating:4,608
The American Society of Test and Materials (ASM) recommends that protective headgear be worn 100% of the time to reduce the risk of TBI in most high risk activities such as these.
As a result of the heightened awareness concerning the long term effects of TBI, as of Jun. 1, 2013, there were more than 4,800 former professional football players as plaintiffs in 242 concussion-related lawsuits against the National Football League. Furthermore, many current or former athletes, including long-time Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka and quarterback Bret Favre and LeBron James, have stated that they would not permit their children to play football due to risk of cognitive deficits resulting from TBI.
In America football helmets made of leather were introduced in the late 19th century, with the introduction of the plastic football helmet in 1940. In 2002 a more spherical helmet, the Riddel REVOLUTION® helmet made of a polycarbonate shell and polyurethane and synthetic rubber foam on the interior surfaces, was introduced, and is now used by over 80% of professional football players. The maker of the REVOLUTION® helmet claimed that players wearing this helmet experience 31% fewer concussions compared to players wearing older style helmets. However, in 2011 a professor of neurology at the University of Michigan (and chair of the American Academy of Neurology's sports neurology section) testified before the U.S. Congress that “there is no significant data” in the study cited by the maker of the REVOLUTION® helmet to make the claim that the helmet reduced concussions by 31%, and the Federal Trade Commission subsequently required this claim to be removed from advertising of the REVOLUTION® helmet.
Various attempts have been made to make improved protective helmets. U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,509 (Romo, et al.) is directed to a football helmet having elastic straps at the sides and in the rear connected to the shoulder pads, to restrict or limit movement of the helmet upon an impact. There appears to be no added support for the head or neck in this design, and concussion or TBI does not seem to be addressed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,699 (Abraham et al.) is directed to a helmet assembly designed to protect a wearer from cervical spine injuries. The patent discloses a helmet having a posterior flange that hooks under and behind a helmet support ring, or collar that is held in place by a frame connected to a shoulder plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,155,747 (Baker) is directed to a head stabilizing system for activities such as racing cars or boats, or for use in aircraft. The system is meant to protect the spinal cord, base of the skull, and the neck from injury during a crash. The system comprises a helmet, a connection structure (such as a shoulder pad), and at least one resisting member (such as a tether or dashpot) connected to the helmet and the connection structure. The piston may contain a viscous fluid that damps the impact by friction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,576 (McNeil, et al.) describes a helmet providing cervical spine protection by having a pair of shock absorbers mounted to the sides and connecting to a pair of shoulder pads using ball-and-socket mounts. A “pilot-operated valve” is said to permit free movement of the helmet except when an impact is experienced by the helmet, which then causes the valve to become activated and thereby block hydraulic flow of fluid through tubes connecting the valve with the shock absorbers.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0277225 (Salkind, et al.) is directed to an apparatus to prevent user injury from rotational force or whiplash due to sudden impact. In this system a football helmet is connected to a body harness using a series of tethers and spools, similar to a seatbelt mechanism. Upon a predetermined movement of at least one tether, the spool will lock, preventing further movement of the tether. However, this system does not provide independent support to the neck.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0277225 (Castillo) is drawn to a head protection system comprising a helmet having a hard shell and a padded interior, a shoulder cuff and a series of pistons having a viscous fluid within connected to the helmet and shoulder cuff to as shock dampers.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0237707 (Lane) discloses an impact diversion system which includes a helmet system including a two-part ring configured to fit around the user's neck and at least one post connected to the helmet and having an end removably connected to the ring. The harness system of the Lane publication includes a first half and a second half that fit around the user's torso.
All patents, patent applications, and non-patent publications referenced in this specification are hereby individually incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
There remains a need for effective and improved protective headgear for use by various recreational, military and professional users, including both children and adults. Such headgear should be capable of substantially lessening the risk of TBI and neck, spine and back injury caused by a blow or force applied to the head, and the incidence of TBI (e.g., expressed as a percentage in a population of users) as compared to previously used helmets and protective headgear.